Demons and Kings (Hartland Book 2)

by J. B. Jenn

  Arem sighed. “I’m not sure if we have a choice any longer.”

  Isol

  The wall he had ordered to be built around Heltarn was coming along slowly. Isol worried about what Maik would think when he returned. Would he approve of such a decision being made while he was away and his kingdom was at war? He knew it was a costly decision, but in the long run it would help secure the Desert against future attacks. If there was a wall protecting the city, there wouldn’t be such a vulnerability. He hoped Maik saw it as he did.

  He had hoped overseeing such a project would help distract him. It hadn’t. His mind was still on the fact the entire kingdom was fighting a war. How many people were already dead? Were they succeeding? This was their only hope at stopping the demons. Everything rode on what happened. It was daunting thinking of all the possibilities.

  “My lord?” a servant called from inside the room. Isol turned and noticed the man had brought his dinner.

  “Thank you,” he said, coming inside.

  As he took a bite of the soup, his thoughts wandered back to Maik. Part of him was relieved he was safe within the palace while his cousin was out there. The other part of him was ashamed for such feelings.

  “Where’s Valora?” he asked the man.

  “She said she had things to do. She also sends her apologies for not coming to dinner, but she’d see you later tonight.”

  Isol nodded, turning his attention elsewhere. All he could do was wait for the soldiers to return. There had been several nights where he had dreamt all the soldiers were dead. He had woken in a cold sweat and had quickly gotten on his knees to pray to the Old Gods it wasn’t true. If it was true, there was little anyone could do. Most of the armies of Hartland were in Dawn Stone.

  Waiting was the worst part. Knowing he could do nothing to prevent what was happening was equally bad. He knew there were others who felt the same way. Helpless.

  Isol pushed his soup away. He had barely been able to eat anything for the last few days. There had been reports of demons leaking through the border. He had sent soldiers out to deal with them. Otherwise, everything seemed calm.

  “I hope you survive, Maik,” Isol whispered.

  Mercea

  Her sword cut through them, slicing several of them in half. Most of them stood there bowing to her. It was frustrating knowing Verite was inside of her and the demons could sense it. Mercea screamed, skewering three more demons. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. This wasn’t how she had pictured this ending. She had thought she’d somehow convince King Flynn to help her and she would kill both De’Nae and Barend. She had hoped her time as a Servant would have ended with peace. After everything she had given the Gods, she had thought she deserved as much.

  If this battle had ended how she imagined it, she would have discovered the globe and taken precautions against it. She could have brought it to the Wilds to be locked away within the Servant’s Tower until they could find a way to destroy it.

  As she started toward the main army, she heard hurried footsteps behind her. Mercea turned. To her surprise, Arem stood there with two other people. She met his dark brown eyes.

  “What are you planning to do to me, wytch?” Mercea asked, cocking her head to the side. “I am clearly helping you kill these demons and you plan to kill me for it? I suppose I should have expected nothing less from you.”

  “You know why I’m here,” Arem said softly. For several moments, he refused to meet her eyes. He kept looking past her. When he finally did, they were sad. “You know why I can’t let you live.”

  “I know. Be quick.”

  She screamed. Deep guttural noises came with it. Arem took a step back. Mercea could feel Verite’s anger building inside of her. His power was growing, drawing on the strength of the demons around her. She took in a deep breath, attempting to shove him back down before it was too late.

  “You better do it now, Arem!”

  Arem came at her. Verite made her dive aside. Mercea looked up at Arem from where she had landed. Her eyes were narrowed with hatred. A deep laugh escaped her. He and the other two men with him, approached. One swung, but Verite knocked him aside.

  Arem threw a fireball at her, but she rolled away. With Verite’s strength inside of her and the power of the Gods, she was quicker than she had ever been before. As the second fireball flew past her, it was stronger than any she had ever witnessed from the wytch.

  “You know the secret then?” Verite asked using her voice with his undertones. All the while, Mercea tried fighting him to regain control of her body. At this point, it seemed useless. There was a strong force propelling him forward, pushing her away.

  “What secret?” Arem asked, furrowing his brow.

  “Then you don’t know. It doesn’t matter. You still have to die. You know something. Maybe not all of it, but you know enough. You’re too dangerous to be left alive.”

  Mercea screamed inwardly as Verite lunged at the wytch. She was forced away temporarily as a large fire shield surrounded Arem and the two men with him. Verite growled at the man before forcing her way through the fire. It burned but as a Servant she was resistant to magic. Her skin was untouched.

  Verite snapped her eyes to Arem and reached for him. Arem had nowhere to go. Her hands wrapped around his throat and she lifted him into the air.

  For several moments, he hung there, dangling, gasping for breath. The two men with him attempted to reach her, but the fire barrier still surrounding Arem prevented them from doing so. Mercea gained a small amount of control. She met Arem’s bulging eyes.

  “I’m so sorry,” she managed to croak out before Verite ripped complete control from her. “And now you must die.”

  As she started to squeeze tighter, a sudden sharp pain stabbed into her back. Mercea collapsed, releasing Arem who lay on the stone gasping for air. Verite looked back and let a growl out. Trester stood there with a purple glow around him. Mercea had no idea what it meant and had never seen it before. All she knew was it frightened the demon.

  “You,” he growled through her again. Mercea looked at Trester. She wanted to yell for him to run, but she couldn’t. She was doomed to watch the demon cut down all those around her. “You’re supposed to be dead. De’Nae told me she killed you!”

  “She failed,” Trester stated coldly.

  “I suppose it makes sense it’s one of the Stones. After all, you are related to her,” he said, sweeping his arms down the length of Mercea’s body.

  Mercea would have closed her eyes in defeat if she’d been able to. Verite knew everything about her. He knew the Stones were direct descendants from her and she had watched over them for years. She wasn’t certain what he had meant though. It was obvious he feared Trester. It was also obvious Trester had no idea what was going on either.

  Verite snorted at Trester’s silence. “I will take that as you have no idea who you are and why you’re so important. Typical, arrogant human. It must run in the bloodline.”

  “What are you talking about?” Trester asked. The ice in his hand told Mercea he was ready to strike if need be. She wished he would.

  “It’s not Mercea,” Arem croaked, earning him a swift kick from Verite. “She’s possessed. Kill her,” he managed again. “It’s the only way.” The next kick was aimed at his head. The force rolled him onto his back where he lay unmoving.

  Verite turned back to Trester in time to receive five large ice crystals in the chest. Mercea screamed in pain. Something was happening. She had been hit with magic before, but it had never hurt this bad. Verite growled and threw himself at Trester. The man rolled to the side.

  As Trester gained his footing, an ice sword, made entirely of his magic, appeared in his hand. It radiated with power. So much power Verite reeled back before trying to reach him, planning on snapping his neck. As he lunged forward again, Mercea screamed inwardly. She couldn’t allow him to kill her last descendants.

  With the fear of Verite succeeding, Mercea managed to gain control again. She th
rew herself to the side. As she lay on the stone work outside of Dawn Stone, she looked toward Arem, hoping she hadn’t killed the man. Then she looked toward Trester. He was coming toward her. Mercea gained her feet.

  “Kill me, Trester,” Mercea pleaded. “I can’t fight him much longer. Run me through.” Trester hesitated. He stared at her in horror. “Do it before it’s too late!” she screamed, feeling Verite surfacing again.

  Trester took a step back. Mercea charged him, hoping to force him to act. It did, but at the same time, Verite regained control. The ice blade sunk into her shoulder instead of where she had aimed it to hit her heart.

  She stumbled back, wounded. Blood dripped everywhere. Mercea tried to charge him again, but she couldn’t. The demon was in too much control. He snarled at Trester before disappearing.

  Trester

  Trester stood there, staring at where Mercea had been. She had been crazed. He had almost killed her! She had nearly made him kill her!

  Trester looked about the battlefield. Where the hell had she gone? Several of the demons had simply disappeared, following Mercea to wherever she had fled to.

  His eyes came to rest on Arem who still lay on the ground, unmoving. The men who had accompanied him protected him.

  None of this made sense. He had a feeling Arem knew something he didn’t. He was most interested in finding out what the other wytch knew.

  “Galtrand,” he said as the battle dwindled around him. “Bring that man to my tent. I have questions I need to ask him in private.”

  “You have no right,” one of the two said.

  Trester looked at the scarred man. “Are you going to stop me?” The man stared at him, but made no move. “I didn’t think so.”

  All around him, Trester could hear the shouts of victory. He allowed his gaze to travel the battle scene. The demons who hadn’t disappeared with Mercea were fighting a losing battle.

  “Now what?” Querra asked at his side.

  “I don’t know, but this isn’t over. This was a small victory with a heavy price.”

  She said nothing further and followed him back toward their camp. The rest of the Relentless remained on the battlefield, cutting down more demons. As they made their way back, Trester barely registered any of what was happening. His thoughts rested on Arem and on what had happened.

  Once Arem was placed on the bed, Trester turned to Querra. “Any ideas how to wake an unconscious man?”

  “One, if we have the right materials. I’ll be back.”

  He watched her leave. She returned several moments later with a small vial she had taken from the medical tent. When she opened it, the smell wafting from it was horrible. Trester wrinkled his noise involuntarily as he stood there and watched Querra wave the concoction in front of Arem’s noise. After several attempts, the man finally tried to wave it away with a painful groan. Querra persisted until Arem opened his eyes, blinking several times.

  “It’s good you’re awake,” Trester said calmly. Arem looked toward him. “You have some answers I need.”

  “Where’s Mercea?” Arem croaked.

  “Gone.”

  “You mean you didn’t kill her!” He started to rise, but Querra forced him back onto the bed. “We have to…”

  “That’s right. She’s gone. Now, about those questions.”

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  About the Author

  Author J.B. Jenn started a writing career back in Casper, Wyoming. It was where the Trilogy of the Wolf was first published under J.A.J. Hutchisson and J.L. Hutchisson. Now, the author lives in Savannah, GA.

  J.B. Jenn writes science fiction and fantasy, with a leaning toward fantasy. The love of swordplay, magic duels, mythical creatures, and anything else the imagination can think of leads to the absolute love of fantasy. There is also a great fondness for tea, great books, video games, role playing, and the unending search of knowledge.

  Other books by this Author

  Trilogy of the Wolf

  Full Moon Rising

  The Curse

  Prophecy’s End

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  authorjbjenn.wordpress.com

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